1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a storing apparatus using a storing medium such as optical disk, magnetic disk, floppy disk, or the like, a storage control method, and a storing medium. More particularly, the invention relates to a storing apparatus for allowing firmware on the side of a storing apparatus to manage an accessing function of a storing medium by a password which is inputted by the user, a storage control method, and a storing medium.
2. Description of the Related Arts
In recent years, storing apparatuses using various removable media such as magnetic tape apparatus, CD drive, DVD drive, MO drive, floppy disk apparatus, large capacity floppy apparatus, and the like which can be used in various computer apparatuses, a television, a video, and the like have been put into practical use. As for the storing apparatus using such a removable medium, since data in the medium can be referred, changed, or copied everywhere so long as the medium and the apparatus exist, there is a problem such that security of data in the medium cannot be maintained.
In a security system for maintaining the security of data of an input/output apparatus such as a disk drive or the like, a security function is provided for the OS of an upper apparatus, thereby managing an access to the input/output apparatus. That is, according to a security program of the OS, the user is allowed to set a password which is used to permit the access to the input/output apparatus by a set-up menu and, when data in a file or the like is preserved to a medium of the input/output apparatus, the password set by the user is written into a predetermined area of the medium by using a normal write command. When the user accesses the file in the medium after completion of the preservation, the user is requested to input the password and the password inputted by the user is collated with the password read out from the medium. When the coincidence of the collation of the password is obtained, the access to the file in the medium is permitted. When the password is different, the access to the file is inhibited. According to the security system as mentioned above, an illegal access to the input/output apparatus by the third person who does not know the password is inhibited, so that the security of data can be held.
In the storing apparatus such as a magnetooptic disk drive or the like using the removable medium, however, since the password of the medium can be read or written by a normal read/write command in the security system provided by the OS, it is difficult to sufficiently assure the security of data. That is, in the security system provided by the OS, since the position of the password for the file preserved in the medium is known, the password can be relatively easily illegally checked, changed, or erased by using the normal read/write command, so that the security of the data cannot be sufficiently assured. Although the removable medium can be ordinarily written and read out, depending on the file which is preserved, there is a case where it is desired that the writing after completion of the preservation is inhibited and only the reading is executed. However, the using method such that the writing of data in the medium is inhibited and only the reading is permitted is performed on a medium unit basis in accordance with physical shapes of opening portions formed in, for example, functional areas FA1 and FA2 of an MO cartridge. Consequently, there is an inconvenience such that the accessing form in which the writing and reading are permitted, the form in which the writing is inhibited and the reading is permitted, and the form in which the writing and reading are inhibited cannot be managed as necessary with respect to a plurality of data in the medium. In recent years, particularly, MO cartridge media having large capacities such as 540 MB and 640 MB have been put into practical use. In a manner similar to a hard disk, a method whereby one medium area is divided into a plurality of data areas called partitions and one partition logically distinguished as one virtual medium and is used has been adopted. As mentioned above, in the removable medium of a hard disk type having the partitions, if a different accessing form can be used every partition, it is extremely convenient.